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低温 (dī wēn) — low temperature

Definition

低温 is 'low temperature', the opposite of 高温 ('high temperature'); 常温 means room/normal temperature. As a measure word, 低温 describes a specific cold reading on a 温度 scale, not the general feeling of cold weather.

noun
low temperature

Examples

  • 低温。
    dī wēn Xià shí wù bù róng yì huài.
    Food doesn't spoil easily at low temperatures.
  • 低温。
    dī wēn Shí yào zhù yì duō chuān yī fu.
    When it's low temperature, you should pay attention to wearing more clothes.
  • 低温。
    Zhè zhǒng zhí wù xǐ huan dī wēn.
    This kind of plant likes low temperatures.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

低dīlow
温wēntemperature

'低' modifies '温' to mean low temperature.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénman, person
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī低dī
Same sound today

In 低, the left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 氐 gives the sound; the image is a person lowering or bowing themselves.

Open 低 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 溫; 温 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 溫 is based on an older form 𥁕, which drew a person bathing in a container full of warm water. The simplified 温 is a later variant.

Open 温 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Climate & Seasons

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